17 Mile Drive

With the weather warm and a bit cloudy, we left Marina Dunes RV Park for a day trip to the famous 17 Mile Drive around the Monterey Peninsula. This area of beautiful California coast has been reserved for the "rich and famous", and contains some of the most beautiful houses, golf courses, and hotels in the world. The peninsula is privately controlled, so a gate at the entrance to the 17 mile drive is staffed by hefty men in uniforms who collect a $10 fee per car for entrance.

A brochure lists 21 points of interest along the drive, with brief descriptions. One of the first stops is near the point of highest elevation on the peninsula and looks out over the bay. Clouds had started to gather, but we got a great photo.

One of the famous golf courses is Poppy Hills.  We could only get a long distance shot:

By now the rain had settled in and the clouds looked like the storm would last for awhile. We continued on our drive, and golfers continued with their game. Of course, at the level of these green fees, a raincoat is preferable to not playing!

The variety of animal life along the shore is astounding. Because the area has been protected for a hundred years or more, the birds, seals, and sea lions are comfortable with people and have established nest and "pupping" areas (if you're a seal).

The coastline is unique, and is beautiful.

While across the street one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world awaits …..

I promised that I wouldn't take pictures of the various estates that we passed, but this one caught my eye. The lower home actually is two structures separated by a covered walkway. The home above and to the side appear to have been built in the '70s.  Many homes are for sale. For information contact Sotheby's…..

Past the Crocker Grove of ancient Cypress trees we came to the most photographed tree on the west coast, and perhaps the world; The Lone Cypress.

Over 250 years this Cypress tree has clung to it's rocks, surviving wind, storm and the onslaught of humanity.

The next stop after the Lone Cypress is, appropriately for Halloween, called the Ghost Tree. Several Cypress trees in this area have died, but their bleached bones refuse to fall.

Some of the coastline homes are well hidden, and only hint of their elegance.

The Inn at Pebble Beach looks over Monterey Bay and the Pebble Beach Golf Course. We walked into the sitting room and looked out through huge glass windows. Many wedding ceremonies have been held on or adjacent to the 18th hole.

And yes, the golfers golfed, even in a driving rain….

Pebble Beach is the only place I've seen where street side timepieces are made by Rolex.

Originally began by Bing Crosby, the Pro Am has been played at Pebble Beach for years.  A memorial is located in a prominent place at the Inn.

The rain was steady at this point, so we cruised the remainder of the 17 Mile Drive and headed into Monterey for lunch. Of course, we wanted seafood, so a stop at the pier was in order where we stopped at the SandBar and Grill for a couple of bowls of Clam Chowder and an order of crab cakes. Delish!

It's only 7 or 8 miles from Monterey to Marina, so we were home in no time. A cup of coffee seemed to be just the thing, so we stopped at Marina Dunes State Park and watched the interaction of the rain and the waves while enjoying a hot beverage.

Another perfect end to a perfect day!

Towards Home….A Little

We made it to Avila Beach last night just about sunset.  Avila is just a few miles north of Pismo Beach, California, and is more of a working fishing port than Pismo, who's claim to fame originally was an abundance of clams, but now revolves around tourists.  We think that Avila is more our style, but the rv park near the pier is owned and operated by the state and charges $65 a night for parking lot camping! Full hookups are available, as well as some dry camping areas (a reduced fee applies). We weren't able to check out all the camp sites as darkness fell, but we saw enough to know that it will be on our to-do list as soon as possible.

This morning dawned partly cloudy and cool. The prediction is for a dramatic change in the warm weather, with rain in the near future. We packed up and left Pismo Coast Village Resort and headed north on US 101.Near Salinas the highway runs through some of the most fertile farmland in the country.

Mile upon mile upon mile of lettuce, cabbage, strawberries and other row crops cover the Salinas valley. Crews were picking in one field while the next field was being readied for cultivation and planting.

One hundred fifty seven miles north we pulled into Marina Dunes RV Park in the little town of Marina, CA.  It's a small park, advertised to have many activities and amenities available to guests. The entrance is very narrow, with a sharp turn at the beginning and a reasonably quick turn at the end. Each site is a back in, and with trees on either side, is barely able to accommodate rigs of Nessie's size (43'). Once in, however, it's not a bad site. I do have to add that the wifi is unusable, the cable is fuzzy, and the advertised fire rings are portable metal devices with huge holes burnt through the screens. The beach is a "short walk" from the park (read: pack a lunch), and Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, is roughly 100 feet from the back of the site.  On the upside, each site is separated by shrubbery and a small concrete patio with a wood fence around the site. Nice for separating neighbors, but effectively prohibiting conversation with them as well. As we've traveled about the country, staying in a number of rv parks, we have an unofficial rating system. We would rate this park at a 5 on a scale of 10. The sites are nice enough, but the lack of amenities and the $70 per night rate does not justify a higher rating.

We crossed the street into downtown Marina and found a small Starbucks, so we got some coffee and drove to the Marina Dunes State Park to watch a weather front cross the bay, creating some winds that were great for kite flying.

Later, after we returned to our site, I decided to take a walk to the beach while Donna worked on dinner.  I knew that I was on the hook to barbecue some steaks, but she had some potatoes to do, so I took off. The weather front had passed and the sun was setting in a bank of clouds.

Once again, as I've said a hundred times as we travel about this beautiful country: A beautiful end to a wonderful day.

Duck Dynasty

Lazy day today, with breakfast at Mon Ami downtown Pismo Beach. This is a small crepe shop with a limited menu, but the staff is friendly and the crepes or waffles are cooked right before your eyes.  Donna had the Sunrise crepe and I ordered a Belgian waffle. Both were very good, but the glass of water tasted somewhat like it came from a rain barrel. Maybe that's the ambiance of the place.  Food was good, though, and Donna said the coffee was excellent.

A bit of shopping in Arroyo Grande, just a few miles down the road, stocked us up of enough food to make it home in a few days. We're hoping to make it to Avila Beach tonight for the sunset, and should be close, because Avila is just 7 miles up the coast, and it's not yet 5 as I write this.

The photo highlight of the day was the resident flock of ducks.  These guys cruise the park, up one street and down another, all day long looking for a handout.  We obliged.

Beautiful birds, if a bit assertive about the food bits that we threw them! The males kept each other and the females at a distance by pecking at appropriate times, and it was soon obvious which one was the "boss"! However, every once in awhile, one of the "outsiders" would sneak in to beg!

Off tomorrow for another adventure.  Stay tuned!

A Day at the Beach

We gathered up our picnic gear, water and food, and headed to the beach this morning. It's less than a 1/4 mile walk, and could be shorter if it weren't for Pismo Creek that originates inland and dumps into the sea just opposite our park, so that we have to hike around it. The creek is in the foreground in this pic:

A view north toward the village of Pismo Beach:

The weather was gorgeous and the birds were out playing and fishin'……

Surf was up today, with waves higher than normal. Local surf fishermen told us that the tides had been higher than usual all summer long, probably due to weather disturbances in the west Pacific.

One of the highest waves brought in a sand dollar with a passenger.  The little hitch hiker kept poking out of his home and opening his mouth. Pretty cool!

We walked south on Pismo Beach until we reached the camping area.  The large dunes next to the ocean attract off road vehicle enthusiasts and the adjacent beach is open to drive on, so many people bring their rv's and ATV's and have fun. Several rental businesses will provide buggies and ATV's if you happen to have left yours at home. At the camping area we turned back north until we got to the south vehicle entrance to the beach and turned inland to find Oceano Campground. Located in the small town of Oceano, the state park has been a mainstay for campers in the area for years. We didn't stay there this time, but wanted to see it anyway. Unfortunately the campground has fallen on hard times, and is in major need of maintenance and repair. With a nightly camping rate of $40, the campground can't compete with the private campgrounds in the area that offer nicer, cleaner sites with more amenities for only a few dollars more.

Walking toward US Hwy 1 along Pier Ave, we crossed Arroyo Grande Creek and saw a beautiful Mallard guarding his flock.

Walking north along US 1, we noticed a very tired Monarch butterfly resting in the middle of the road. Donna rescued him and gently placed him/her in the shade of some nearby bushes. He continued to slowly move his wings, so he must have been happy!

This encounter reminded us that this is the time of year for the migration of the Monarch's. Pismo Beach has the ideal climate for the butterflies to overwinter, and in one small section of eucalyptus trees thousand of them congregate. A sign hanging on a fence gave us a short lesson on the life cycle of the insects.

As we walked quietly through the grove, we at first didn't see any butterflies other than a couple of hundred moving between trees. After a bit, we learned what to look for, and with the help of volunteers with stationary scopes, we identified literally thousands of them! The dead stick of a treed limb in the center of the photo seems to have a bunch of leaves at the end.  Nope! Those are Monarch butterflies grouped together!

On another branch, hundreds of butterflies hang in a large group.  Amazing!

Donna's Fitbit says we walked about 9 1/2 miles today, and our feet, legs and backs can testify to that!  But I couldn't leave without showing you my favorite photograph of the day:

Every body of water has it's own unique features, as we've shared with you over this last summer as we've seen just a few, but there is something very powerful about the Pacific Ocean.

In the Water

After spending several days with family in SoCal, and making sure that everything was OK with them, we left this morning with Fall in the air.  We knew it was Fall because it was two degrees cooler this morning than yesterday.  Winter brings a dramatic 10 degree drop in temps, so you always know when it's Summer or Winter in Southern California. It's brutal!

A short drive north brought us to Pismo Beach.  Donna and I have spent many happy times here with our kids over the years, and the beach here still amazes. We set up camp at the Pismo Beach Village RV Park in sites 77 and then 366. Number 77 was suitable for a tent trailer, so after driving around in circles throughout the park, we finally settled in 366 which is long enough for Nessie, but is totally dirt, which is disappointing for an RV "Resort" that charges upscale prices. The neighbors are great, helping us back in, but the advertised wifi is not connectable, and the rv's are stuffed in here like sardines. Not quite our cup of tea, but perfectly acceptable for a few days.

This afternoon we walked to the beach to watch the birds play in the shallow water as the tide receded.

And to dip a toe in the Pacific Ocean.

At 6:15, the sun set; a sight that we haven't seen in roughly 5 months.

Southern California

One hundred ninety four miles west and north of Coachella, we find ourselves in a little town in the Santa Clara valley where both Donna and I were born and raised. It's an agricultural area, with tracts of citrus orchards, strawberry and vegetable fields and lovely mountains defining the valley as it rushes to the Pacific Ocean. The weather is mild year-round and perfect for flowers and crops of all kinds.

Forgive the reflections of the motorhome dash panel, but the sun was right overhead and shining right through the five acres of windshield!

I 10 west out of the Palm Springs area is known for its wind farms.  The "breeze" continually blows through the pass between Banning and Palm Springs, and over time power generation windmills have been installed. Check out the plastic bag stuck to the fence in the second photo.  No more plastic bags, Uncle Jerry!

West of Banning and Beaumont, I 10 runs through Redlands, Colton, and Rancho Cucamonga. Montclair leads into San Dimas and Glendora via Highway 57. From there, I 210 heads due west into the San Fernando Valley via Pasadena, Glendale, and La Canada Flintridge. If you've watched the annual Rose Parade on 1 January you've seen beautiful floats from all these cities. I 210 connects to I 5 just south of Santa Clarita, where we left the freeway to go to our "ancestral home".

We'll be here for five nights visiting my mother and sister.  Sis has a medical procedure scheduled, and we need to be here as a support team.  I probably won't be posting much for a few days, but check back in the first of next week to catch up.

Thanks!